Sessha wa Rurouni
by kirei kamiya
Summary: After Jinchuu, Kaoru can't help wondering why all of Tokyo has started calling her "Hinura-dono", except Kenshin, that is.


A/N: I welcome myself unto the joyous world of fan fiction! For this beith my first work, and tho' the devil himself may flame it, it shall go down in the chronicles of Kenshindom! Oh by the way, not to sound cliché, but reviews will not be unwelcomed (to say the least) and suggestions would be lovely for all ye various creative types and romantics at heart. However, all ye grown ladies and gentlemen in the crowd of twenty or more years working in the real world, take pity on me, for I be merely a poor sixteen year old working graveyard shift to bring you this pitiful production. Merci buckets (  
  
SESSHA WA RUROUNI  
  
Part I  
  
Tossing and turning, the couple lay separated by the thin rice paper wall, neither asleep and both feeling not a little lost. Kaoru sighed, and gave up-why even try to sleep? It had been pointless ever since Enishi. Kaoru wanted to throw off the covers and rip Kenshin's hair out but she opted instead for turning over and mourning the advent of morning. Another sleepless night, just like last night, and the night before that, and the night before that...  
  
Kaoru relented, and lit the lamp, spellbound as soft light filled the room, so dark so early in the morning. After another five minutes of half- hearted debate, Kaoru sat up groggily, knowing there would be no more rest this night. But what to do? If she left the solace of her room, Kenshin was bound to come running to her rescue (such was his paranoia), and Kaoru did not want to find herself explaining why she was cleaning the dojo floors at one thirty in the morning, mostly because she knew he would inevitably pick up a rag to help her. One of them miserable was quite enough, Kaoru decided irritably. Perhaps if she went to the kitchen to brew a pot of green tea, she would be coherent enough to finish the book Tae had lent her last week. She had had trouble finding the courage to read it, because it was, as Tae has said, a "true-to-life" romance, and in Kaoru's limited experience, that only implied desertion and soul-splitting heartache. Not to mention extreme insomnia and the sudden craving for every romance novel she could wheedle out of Tae.  
  
Every thing was so simple, in those stories. There was no waiting, no lying in limbo, wandering if her wanderer would wander again. Though Kenshin had told her "Tadaima" after Jinchuu, he had also told her "Ariagato" before disappearing into the darkness without a second glance before Shishio. It was so comforting to think that love was not hopeless, after all. But the samurai and the geisha in their storybook novels were just fairy tales. No one in love ever turned out happily. Living happily ever after was such a fantasy.  
  
Kenshin was HERE, in the dojo, and he was alive. That was all she needed, ne?  
  
Kaoru knew she would just end up insane dwelling on this; she had long realized that Kenshin was not a romantic man, and was not Prince Charming, and Kaoru strongly suspected the thought of sweeping her off her feet was repulsive to him. Deal with it, she told herself. Finally convincing herself to hobble go the kitchen, Kaoru sat up, retrieving her book from underneath her pillow, where she had safely stashed it away from prying eyes. Kaoru slid open the shoji and clambered down the dark hallway, relieved beyond belief to not find Kenshin not still standing guard outside her room. Then again, she thought to herself, maybe not. If he's not here, where exactly is he?  
  
Having heated the stove, Kaoru reached up on the shelf for the tea and frowned. Wasn't the tea supposed to be-her eyebrows raised in exasperation as she espied the tea, at least a foot above where..Kaoru stiffened as realization sunk in...where she could reach it. "Well, I hope you're happy with yourself, Kenshin." To his credit, Kenshin didn't look even remotely taken aback as Kaoru whirled around to face him as he tried to edge his way, unheard, towards the stove. In fact, he didn't even flinch when she assumed stance to skewer him with the stirring spoon. "You really should be sleeping, Kaoru-dono." "SO should you." Apparently Kenshin had no response to that, and Kaoru grinned in victory, head pounding at the gesture. She was too exhausted to be tired. But she was never too exhausted to see Kenshin. On the contrary, Kenshin was not pleased to see Kaoru. She had been having trouble sleeping for weeks, he knew. Normally, Kaoru was a light sleeper, but this, this was ridiculous. Six nights in a row? Any self-respecting man would have done the same with the tea. Then again, thought, Kenshin, any self-respecting man wouldn't have fallen in love with a girl half his age.  
The two stood there for a few minutes, brooding, before Kenshin yielded. Firmly gripping her elbow, he led her to the low table and walked back to the stove. After seeing her eye the stepping stool appraisingly, he retrieved the tea as well. As he had expected, Kaoru protested when he started steeping the tea. "Kenshin, I can-" was swiftly followed by a rigid "I never said you couldn't." "At least let me-my tea is always the better of ours," hearing no objection, she made to rise. "After seven straight nights of practice, I would expect so, that I would," he replied blandly, trying to hide his grin at her blush. "Sumimasen," she apologized, bowing while fuming at the same time, and snapping back up when she felt her knees weaken beneath her. As usual, Kenshin didn't miss a single detail, and he rose gracefully and had forced Kaoru back to the table before she could collect herself. She half kneeled and half fell, and Kenshin came to a decision, and with a determined expression, strode to the stove, poured the tea, and brought back two cups to Kaoru, who had been stricken suddenly silent, eyes dazed. Kenshin didn't even bat an eyelash when she sipped her tea, and collapsed into his waiting arms. Kenshin made a mental note to himself to thank Dr. Gensai for the sleeping powder and resolved to congratulate him on its surprising potency, though he dreaded the wrath he was sure to receive on the morrow when she woke up. Ignoring Kaoru's half-slurred oath to show him the meaning of real pain, Kenshin merely scooped her up bridal style, as he had after he had saved her from Gohei, and proceeded, warm bundle in arms, down the hallway, back to her room.  
Kaoru on the other hand, wished she was just a bit more conscious to properly enjoy this. Normally, Kenshin was so distant, and at night, he seemed strangely more companionable. Still, sometimes Kaoru wondered if his hesitancy to declare or denounce his own intentions had anything to do with most of Kyoto gradually beginning to greet her as "Himura-Dono," a habit almost all their friends and most of their acquaintances had gradually developed and even the envious Megumi was powerless to stop. And while Kenshin had never protested, he had never exactly encouraged it either. Usually, Kenshin was very strict about any physical contact whatsoever with her on a day-to-day basis, and this was unexpected to say the least; if Yahiko were to see her now, he'd probably think either she was dying or Sano had slipped the swordsman something extra in his sake. And this arrangement always frustrated Kaoru: did he really have to be drunk or clumsy or at death's door to touch her? HONESTLY! While she supposed she should be outraged at his audacity to first drug her and then treat her like an invalid, Kaoru merely leaned closer into his chest and let her head fall back on his arm. Playing damsel in distress was a change for her, a drastic one she had gradually come to accept in her short acquaintance with Kenshin, but, she surmised, there were perks. But these last conscious thoughts were muddled as Kenshin swept into her room, stood her straight up on the futon, and stood there, hesitating.  
  
~  
  
Kaoru felt like her knees were going to give out at any second-Kenshin still had his arms wrapped tightly around her waist, and she knew if she did faint, he wouldn't let her fall. After three minutes of resting against his sturdy shoulder, Kaoru finally worked up the courage to murmur,  
  
"Is this your first time drugging a woman and dragging her back to her quarters, Kenshin?"  
  
He just nodded, chuckled, and kissed her on the cheek, before tucking her head under his chin. Not that she was complaining; he was usually so unassuming that a little manhandling was wonderful now and then, especially when no one was around to distract him with a katana and the prospect of her head on a platter. It was knowing that he was here and he really didn't have to be that excited her. With him with her, Kaoru felt warm and safe-it would be all right to sleep just like a normal girl, no bokken, and no shinai close at hand. Kaoru laid her head on his chest again so he couldn't see her face, which she was sure was not only as red as a tomato, but extremely unromantic.  
  
~  
  
Feeling Kaoru unsteady on her feet, he moved his grip further up her back so she could put all her weight against him. Her eyes had already shut, and Kenshin smiled softly, she probably wasn't even aware she had fallen asleep. But when he bent to the futon and his arms slipped from her, he felt her ki shot up suddenly in panic. 


End file.
